Combined reel, balance weight, and anchor for decoys



Sept- 25,1923. l LE ROY B. FRASER COMBINED REEL, BALANCE WEIGHT, ANDANCHOR FOR DECOYS Filed Nov. 13. 1922 Patented Sept. 25, 1923.

.Y narran srarss f j pasaras LE nov arnnsas., o1".V Auronnnd omo.'

COMBINED sans, BALANCE WEIGHT, ,ann 'emerson 'ron Anlnoovs.' i

pensaran flied November 13, 1922. serial ivxeea'z'vo.

consists in a device of the class referred toV having a. reel upon whichthe cord which eX- tends from a floating decoy to an anchor is wound,and a combined cover and anchor for said reel. Vith this' constructionthe cover is normally in position to' close and protect the reel and thecord wound thereon, and is also in position to be readily detached fromthe reel and to serve the purposes of ananchor.

Other features of the invention, such as important combinations of partsand details of constructiom'will be apparent from the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novelelements of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a decoy duck with a device embodying the inventionapplied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged inverted plan View showing the cover 1n position;f f j Fig. 3 is a vertical section 'illustrating the device and aportion ofthe decoyto which it is attached; l

Fig. 3il is a detail illustrating acord holding device.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view showing the reel, minus the cover, and YFig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating the reel with the combined coverandweight attached to a partly unwound cord.

Referring to Fig. 1, the decoy lis illus Y trated. Vwithfthe'reel ofthepresent invention attached andan unwoundcord extending to the-combinedcover' and anchor.- The hub plate 3, preferably circular in form, asshown in Fig. 4 is Vprovided with an upwardly preL jecting hubY 5, andmay also have a downwardly projecting spur 6 so that'said plate,

with thereel and cover attachedy may v'beY temporarily attachedto-thedecoy 1 by driving the spur` into the 'decoy'. Such temporaryattachment is for 'the purpose-oflocating'thef reel, coverand hubplatefin the proper'position to balance the decoy', and-,the temporaryattachment provides for experimentally lol` catingthe device,Y priortofits permanent attachment. "i l' y* -The hubplateis'providedwith-arplurality o'fholes through'which screws -7`m`aypass for securing the devicepermanentlyato' the underside 'of the decoy.The-outeiportion of the hub plate near its edgeis preferably providedwith a series ofi upstanding tongues 9, extending in`VV oppositedirections about the edge of the hub;pl'ate. vThe combined cover andanchor 10 -isprovidedwith a ange12 which extends at right anglesjto thebodyportion of the "cover and is provided with slots 14;' for fittingover the tongues 9, lthe cover beingv rotated to cause. the tongues topass beyond the slots 14 and engage the-lower surface of the flangethereby locking the cover to the hub plate.YV By reversely rotating thecover, the tongues will pass into the openings 14 and the `cover maythen be removed from the hub plate. The reelis composed oftwo circularVplates 15, 16, having inwardly projecting hubs 17, 18, the latter beingpreferablyprovide'd witha spur 35 which frictionally engages Vtheformerof said hubs for preventing relative rotation of the plates '15 and 16,andy a doublel headed rivet 20 'passes through aligned openings 'in thehub 5 ofthe hub plate and theebottoms; ofthe hubs17,f18 ofthe reel torotatably fasten, thereel` to the hubv plate.Yv` The reel mayv beVrotated either by a folding handle, 21 of the character which isfrequently used in-'tape reels,"orby projecting parts 22 A'whichv arestruck up from the metal ,of `the plate 15 of thereel.

The folding handle preferablyV is providedV a with an enlargedv linge-rYgrasping piece 423, which,"when the handle is foldedinwardly lool j' onthe reel is housedI Within the hub 17, as l shown in Fig.

A cord 25 Lis wound upon the reel' and-'its l free end is suitablysecured to aside wall of the cover, as bya-knot-QG, although the cordmay-fbe attached to thecombinedcover and agreeable.

30, which frictionally engage the reel plate 16 and retard the unwindingof the reel so as to prevent racing.

. When the device is all assembled, the cover will be locked upon thehub plate, as shown in F ig. 3, and it will be Vseen that Vthe hubplate, reel with cord wound thereon, and combined cover and anchorconstitute a unit which, because of its compactness, will occupy a verysmall space so that a number of these'devices may be stored ortransported in a relat-ively small container. In the use of the device,itY is secured in the proper positionto a decoy, first by tempo'- rarilyattaching the hub plate by means of,

the spur V6, and finally by the screws. 7 which pass through said plateand the decoy. The cover l0 will then be locked in` position so that theline or cord is closed and the parts will remain in such positions untilthe decoy is used. Partial rotation lof they cover 10 will cause itsflanges to be unlocked and said cover will then be used as a weight, a

suitable amount (of cord being unwoundV from the reel, as desired. v Y

It is to be observed that the reel, cord and combined cover plate andanchor, when the partsare assembled, constitute a ver. com'- pact unit,with the winding'means for the cover plate or anchor concealed-withinthe latter, which, acts as a guard against blows and not only preventsinjury to the reel, but protects the cord from becoming loosened andentangled. In decoy ducks, as is well known, the cord which extends fromthe decoy to the anchor is in practice wound about the decoy when thelatter is removed from the water. This not only soils. the. hands, butin cold weather the 'necessary contact of the gunners hands with the wet'cord in winding it about the decoy is extremely dis- By the use of thereel in the present invention the cord ispreserved 'in condition toavoid becoming entangled, and at the same time it may'be unwoundv .fromthereel when the decoy is set out or rewound thereon when the decoy isYremoved from the water with. easeand facility, andwithout thedisagreeable'rfeatures which are incident to the use of the decoy withthe ordinary cord extending directly from the bottom of the decoy to itsanchor.

When used in muddy water, or where weeds and grass are thick, the cordfrequently carries particles of mud and grass and by means ot the deviceillustrated in Fig. 3a the cord may be cleansed of eXtra neolus matteras itis being wound upon the ree Referring to Fig. 3a, one of thetongues 9, formed by bending back a portion of the flange 3, is providedwith an upstanding projection 33, having a central hole 3l, and twonotches 32, which may be arranged on opposite sides of the hole. TheVcord 25 passes `through the hole 31,V and when asufficient amount ofthe cord has been unwound from the reel, the cord may be wound aroundthe slots 32 of the projection 33, and fastened by frictional engagementwith said slots. The projection 33 may either be formed asa lateralextensionor" one of the tongues 9, or it may be independently struck upfrom the flange 3.

Instead oit' using a projection 30 with slots 32, to fasten off' thecord, the latter may be passed beneath one of 'the tongues 9 and woundthereon when a sufiicient amount of the cord has been unwound from thereel to extend therequired distance' from the decoy to the anchorweight.

,Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: A j i l. In a device of the class described, thecombination with a reel adapted torbe securedbeneath a decoy and tocontain the cord `extending from said decoy, of a cover to surround saidreel, said Vcord being at-A tached to said cover whereby the latter mayServeag an anchor. c Y

2. In a devicen of the class described, the combination with a reel, ofa cord wound thereon, a cover constructed to surround lthe reel andadapte-d for connection with said cord, and means for detachablysecuring said cover over the reel.

3. In a device ofthe class described, ther combination of a plateadapted for attachment t0 a decoy, a reelmounted on said plate, a cover.for said reel adapted to be connected to the cord carried by said reel,and means to detachably fast-en said cover and plate together. j

a. Ina device of the class, described, the combination with a plateyhaving means for temporarily attaching it toaJ decoy, a reel rotatablymounted on said. plate and carrying a cord, a combined` enclosure andan.- choring device adapted for detachable engagement withsaidplate toact as a protector for the reel yand cord,r andr means af- .fordin'gconnection between said cord and cover. v

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plate havingmeans for attachment to a decoy and a hub projecting from said plate, areel comprising twov plate members with inwardly extending hollow hubs,one of said 'hubs' arranged to fit'over the hub ofrsaid first-namedplate, pivotal means securing the members of said reel to said hub, acord wound upon said reel, a

cover-for enclosing said reel and cord, and Y arranged for connectionwith said cord', said ,cover-having an outstanding flange, and 1n'-terlocking means between said plate vand Y iso 'jecting hub and means]for attaching said plate to adecoy, a'tongue projecting u p- WardlyfromA said plate and' provided With Yan extension having .an aperturetherein,

and al reel rotatably mounted on vsaid plate and carrying-an anchor cordadapted to pase;

through said aperture.

7. Iii a device 0I" the clasvsldescribed, 'thev combination of a'platehavi'iigmeans for temporaryattachmentto fivdecoy,V ahub projectiiig fromsaidplate,y a reel rotating onl said hub andcalrying a cord, and acomparteV constituting la' deco-yV balance Weight andA being' adaptedto' be experimentally fastened to a decoy .in order to locate theirproper position thereon, and'ii'ieaiis for per- *Y manently'se'curingf'the device to the decoy when such position has been determined.

VInV testimony Wliereof have hereunto set 2o i my hand this` lOth clay'of October, D=- A LE ROY B. FRASER, V-

